• Lunar New Year celebration in downtown Lancaster: At Binns Park on Sunday, the Lancaster Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders group celebrated the Lunar New Year. It featured dances, art vendors, music, and food and drink vendors. The food vendors included Silantra Asian Street Kitchen, which held a dumpling-eating competition. The current lunar year is the Year of the Snake. (Source: LNP)
• Sign banning Spanish speaking on school bus under investigation by district: Juniata County School District, in Mifflintown, PA, is investigating reports of a sign being posted on a school bus which prohibited students from speaking Spanish. Neither the district or Rohrer Bus condoned the sign, despite the sign claiming to have been posted by “owner/management.” Rohrer said they will be implementing additional training regarding making buses welcoming spaces for students. (Source: ABC 27)
• Governor Josh Shapiro to introduce state budget plan: Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is set to deliver his third budget proposal to the state Congress, this Tuesday. The plan is expected to include proposals for more money for struggling public schools, boosting pay for adult care workers, and to create a tax on skill games. Pennsylvania currently has a surplus of $10.5 billion, though the state also faces a slowing economy and an increasing population of retirement-age citizens who will need care. Passage of the budget will require bipartisan approval. (Source: FOX 43)
• 2 Lancaster County libraries to hold winter book sales: The Ephrata Public Library and the Friends of the Lancaster Public Library volunteer group will both be holding book sales this month. Ephrata’s sale will happen this Wednesday through Saturday. Lancaster’s will take place between February 14 and 16. Lancaster’s Winter ReSort Sale will feature thousands of books, with most priced between 50 cents and $2. (Source: LNP)
• Nation/world: Elon Musk says he will shut down USAID organization with Trump ( Source: NBC News ) Protestors block major Los Angeles freeway over deportations ( Source: ABC News ) Black History Month banned by pentagon agency in response to new executive order ( Source: MSNBC ) U.S. and Mexico reached an agreement on tariffs ( Source: NBC News )
